MPCB issues notice to car service centre.

Times of India: Manka Behl: Nagpur: Monday, March 13, 2017.

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has issued notice to a car dealership and its service centre on Ghat Road for violating environmental norms.

Following a complaint filed by RTI activist Kamlesh Shah regarding unscientific disposal of waste water, the board officials recently conducted a on-the-spot inspection and found that the effluent treatment plant (ETP) was not operational.

As per the inspection report, the service centre is violating the provisions of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and Hazardous Waste (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2008.

Thought the car service centre has an ETP to treat waste water generated from the washing section, the effluent generated after washing the vehicles is being discharged outside the premises without any treatment. Apart from this, the centre did not provide any records related to generation and disposal of hazardous waste. "Oil skimmer was also not provided to the ETP," the report said.

In his complaint, Shah has pointed out that contaminated water containing oil, grease and other pollutants is damaging the environment. "Many car workshops in the city are not using ETPs. MPCB field officials should do regular monitoring of such units," Shah said, adding that at some places, waste water is being discharged into Nag river. "Action should be taken as per section 33 of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974," he said.

A senior board official said the waste water generated from the car washing section contains hazardous chemicals. "When the water is released without treatment, it pollutes drainage as well as groundwater," the official said.

Last year, after taking note of TOI's report on contamination of water at Shukla Nagar near Manewada ring road by a car service centre, MPCB had issued a notice to the owner and also instructed to set up an effluent treatment plant to treat waste water on his premises. The dirty water, containing oil, grease and other pollutants after servicing and car washing was being directly released into the main drainage line of the area. It had not just resulted in choking of the drainage pipeline but also caused internal seepage due to which the contaminated water had started entering the local wells of the residents.